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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cap — a hat
  3. roll — a cake
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cap — of ice
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. swing — music
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. roll — a list
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com